In the quest for sustainable pharmaceutical practices, Botanical Solutions, a Latin American biotech firm, is at the forefront with its innovative platform for producing QS-21, a critical component in vaccine adjuvants derived from the Quillaja saponaria tree. Amidst the industry’s shift towards environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), the company’s CEO, Gaston Salinas, recently shared insights at Harvard University on the untapped potential of QS-21.
Quillaja saponaria, indigenous to Chile, is integral to the Shingrix vaccine by GSK, a shingles vaccine. Salinas is convinced that the broader pharmaceutical applications of QS-21 are yet to be fully realized. Traditional harvesting methods, however, are neither sustainable nor cost-effective, prompting Botanical Solutions to develop an alternative production method.
In an interview with MM+M, Salinas discussed the company’s journey from agriculture to biotech and the development of a proprietary technology platform based on plant tissue culture. This platform enables the cultivation of Quillaja saponaria biomass in a bio-factory in Santiago, circumventing the need for raw plant material from natural sources.
The company’s breakthrough came in 2020 when the pharmaceutical industry’s demand for a sustainable QS-21 supply chain became apparent. With the cost of QS-21 at approximately $400,000 per gram, the economic and supply chain implications were significant. Botanical Solutions’ subsequent partnership with Croda, a leader in the vaccine-adjuvant space, aims to ensure a robust and sustainable supply of QS-21.
Salinas explained that QS-21’s role in pharmaceuticals extends beyond the Shingrix vaccine to include an RSV vaccine and a malaria vaccine. GSK’s commitment to sourcing deforestation-free inputs by 2030 aligns with Botanical Solutions’ mission to offer a sustainable alternative.
The company’s sustainable extraction process begins with the collection of samples to establish a tissue culture platform, a one-time process that ensures genetic consistency. The controlled growth conditions in greenhouses yield biomass with uniform chemical composition, a challenge when relying on naturally sourced materials. The resulting biomass is then processed to produce over 99% pure QS-21.
Salinas expressed hope that Botanical Solutions’ approach would inspire similar sustainable practices in the industry. The company’s success in agriculture is now being translated to pharmaceuticals, demonstrating the feasibility of producing efficacious vaccines and therapeutics sustainably.
